'Marvel's New Warriors' Is A Perfect Solution To The Problem Of The 'Roseanne' Vacant Slot

Yesterday, following the surprising cancelation of Roseanne by ABC, there became instant talk of what could be placed in the show’s now vacant timeslot -- which was set to be the very competitive Tuesday at 8/7c.

Various options have been thrown out, but of everything ABC and Channing Dungey could do, there’s one scenario in particular that would not only allow the network to replace one marketable IP with another but also do so without losing a single day of production time between now and September.

ABC needs to pick up Marvel’s New Warriors.

Originally slated for release somewhere in the first half of this year, Marvel’s New Warriors was set to be Marvel Television’s first half-hour project. Moreover, the series was going to feature the first ever live-action adaptation of cult favorite character Squirrel Girl.

An order at Freeform was set and a writers’ room was opened under the leadership of Enlisted’s Kevin Biegel. But then, months later, strange news came down that Freeform had decided to reverse their decision to take on the new series and that Marvel Television would seek a new home. Current rumors put that home at potentially being Hulu or the upcoming Disney OTT service.

Rumors aside, the big takeaway of New Warriors is two-fold.

Buzz on the ground claims the series pilot has garnered major attention with top brass at Disney.

Given the timing, it's likely most, if not all, of the ten episodes of the first season have been written and are ready to shoot.

So, in a time when ABC absolutely must find an anchor for its Tuesday night schedule, one of its in-house production studios already has ten episodes ready to go that need a home. No writers room necessary.

Not to point out the obvious, but it does seem like the answer to yesterday’s unexpected schedule pull is staring the alphabet network in the face.

Picking up New Warriors would give ABC another hugely buzzy show to lead off Tuesdays and, since the pilot is already shot, there’s plenty of time to promote it between now and a late September launch. SDCC is right around the corner. A surprise screening of the first episode could do wonders for the show not unlike what ultimately lead to a very successful premiere for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D back in 2013.

Many have forgotten the Avengers off-shoot scored 12.12 million viewers in its series debut in the same Tuesday slot Roseanne has left vacant.

Additionally, a New Warriors pick-up would secure Dungey’s position for the remainder of the season. From a risk management perspective, New Warriors has the best chance of drawing in the numbers Roseanne was going to. It’s a broad-reaching comedy starring a character fans have been waiting decades to see on screen.

Of everything ABC could do in the next few days to weeks to make sure ad-buyers remain happy now that a cash cow has left the building, the launch of a new Marvel show just months after the biggest Marvel feature to date would certainly put some minds at ease.